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If you've been thinking that the Apple TV's hardware has needed a shot in the arm lately, it looks like you're not alone. Bloombergreports that Apple has hired Timothy Twerdahl, an executive who has spent most of the last four years serving as Director and General Manager of Amazon's Fire TV team. Twerdahl's extensive resume includes years of experience with hardware and TV projects, including three years at Palm, two at pre-Google Motorola, half a year at Netflix, almost two years at Roku, and three years as VP of Products at WIMM Labs, a wearable device maker acquired by Google back in 2013.

Pete Distad, a former Hulu executive who had been managing the Apple TV team, isn't being let go. Rather, Twerdahl's hiring will free him up to focus on "content deals," possibly for Apple's nascent scripted TV and movie projects.

Further Reading

The fourth-generation Apple TV represented a major overhaul of Apple's longtime "hobby" project when it was released in October of 2015. It got a brand-new and dramatically faster CPU and GPU thanks to the Apple A8, it threw out the old iOS-lite Apple TV operating system for a new one with a revamped interface and more iOS APIs, and it picked up its own App Store and SDK. Yet despite CEO Tim Cook's belief that "the future of TV is apps," the platform seems to have stalled since then. You can find apps for most streaming video services (Amazon is the lone major holdout and its promised Apple TV app never materialized), but Apple's gaming ambitions have sputtered. Even the new TV app, one of tvOS' most visible additions in the last 16 months and another effort to fix streaming boxes' "where the hell can I watch this" problem, is hobbled by its lack of support for Netflix.

The hardware has likewise stagnated. It has received no updates in 16 months and still starts at $149, significantly higher than competing boxes from Roku and from Amazon. Newer and higher-end models from competitors also support 4K content and HDR, while the Apple TV is stuck at 1080p. Apple doesn't break out sales of the Apple TV from the Apple Watch, the iPod, Beats headphones, and the rest of its "other products" category, so we can't say for sure how any of these factors have affected sales.

New leadership, particularly from someone with Twerdahl's hardware expertise, could at least help Apple stay abreast of its competitors. At Amazon, Twerdahl oversaw the release of the original Fire TV and its expansion into lower-cost streaming sticks. And if Apple used the "gaming edition" of the Fire TV and its gamepad as a template, it could find renewed success in that market too; Apple's developer community is considerably larger and more active than Amazon's.

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Andrew Cunningham
Andrew wrote and edited tech news and reviews at Ars Technica from 2012 to 2017, where he still occasionally freelances; he is currently a lead editor at Wirecutter. He also records a weekly book podcast called Overdue. Twitter@AndrewWrites

51 Reader Comments

I wish him well, he certainly has his work cut out for him.I was not impressed with the Gen 3 Apple TV (previously owned the Gen 1) and figured Gen 4 couldn't be any worse (after all the remote finally wouldn't slide off the table every 5 minutes).

I'm man enough to admit that I was wrong, the Gen 4 TV is a sh*t show. Did anyone at Apple make any attempt to figure out who the customer was and what would work for them? I don't think so. Awful junk.

I wish him well, he certainly has his work cut out for him.I was not impressed with the Gen 3 Apple TV (previously owned the Gen 1) and figured Gen 4 couldn't be any worse (after all the remote finally wouldn't slide off the table every 5 minutes).

I'm man enough to admit that I was wrong, the Gen 4 TV is a sh*t show. Did anyone at Apple make any attempt to figure out who the customer was and what would work for them? I don't think so. Awful junk.

The remote kinda sucks but overall I like the Apple TV gen 4. It has all the streaming apps I need and I can mirror my iPhone and MacBook. I like it better than my gen 3 and the Roku 3 I had before that.

I have a bluetooth gamepad for it too, but have only used it once since I bought it (about 6 months ago). Gaming on it is pretty bad, though Ducktales Remastered is fun.

Reading the article makes it seem that Apple is doing so badly in the cord cutter business.

Now, what happened to Android TV? Google doesn't even try anymore (after a failure called Google TV), the big TV OEMs are simply ignoring it and pursuing with their own horrid Smart TV platforms, and the box OEM scene is just horrid, tried to find a good box for development at our work and I don't think Xiaomi will make a good box for us developers (with a non adulterated OS), also can't find them in EU legally, can't find the discontinued Nexus player (with no replacement), and the Nvidia ones are expensive for the users and too powerful for the developers (not a question of price, but we don't get to really see the limitations most of the people will experience in CPU power, RAM and SSD access)

Don't say "Chromecast is their idea", because it isn't. It's their plan C if plan B (Android TV) fails after plan A (Google TV), the one they have least control, and most people use that as a cheap way to put their torrents in their TV, while Android TV was meant to put PlayStore-bought content in the TV.

The article portrays the lack of Netflix on Apple's App as a problem of Apple, as their fault, while it's simply because Netflix doesn't want to, Netflix wants people to go to their App ONLY.

Reading the article makes it seem that Apple is doing so badly in the cord cutter business.

Now, what happened to Android TV? Google doesn't even try anymore (after a failure called Google TV), the big TV OEMs are simply ignoring it and pursuing with their own horrid Smart TV platforms, and the box OEM scene is just horrid, tried to find a good box for development at our work and I don't think Xiaomi will make a good box for us developers (with a non adulterated OS), also can't find them in EU legally, can't find the discontinued Nexus player (with no replacement), and the Nvidia ones are expensive for the users and too powerful for the developers (not a question of price, but we don't get to really see the limitations most of the people will experience in CPU power, RAM and SSD access)

The article portrays the lack of Netflix on Apple's App as a problem of Apple, as their fault, while it's simply because Netflix doesn't want to, Netflix wants people to go to their App ONLY.

My original PS3 just shit the bed, and so I've been using my Roku 2 in the meantime. It's a little slow, but it works well overall and has a ton of channels. I'd much prefer to have an AppleTV, but it's way behind on the channel front, especially since it doesn't have an Amazon app. That's a deal breaker for me. Plus the Roku pricing kills the AppleTV. Honestly, there's no reason I'd buy an AppleTV over the top end Roku right now. It's a terrible value.

It's not about the hardware, and it will never will be. It's about content and programming.

Those who create it, and have it, will always hold the upper hand.

The established media companies are happy to maintain the status quo, and keep the money train going through the MSOs that service the majority of TV households with either video service, or internet service, if not both.

The MSOs occasionally have to pretend to put up a fight, before they capitulate and then pass the ever increasing programming costs onto their users. If they're big enough to afford it, they grab a media company of their own to hedge their bets, and better their own hand in negotiations, like Comcast did with NBCUni, and AT&T is with Time Warner.

Relative newcomers like Netflix and Amazon got their start relying on content from the traditional media companies, but soon realized that to control their own destiny, they would have to become creators, not merely licensees, and have done very well in their own right in that respect.

Netflix sets itself apart by being ubiquitous and platform agnostic. Amazon has chosen to be selective in how it distributes. I'm not sure if Fire hardware makes much money for them (I doubt it does), but it allows them to retain control over the whole widget, and serve as one facet of a home network that channels entertainment and household purchases directly to them.

Apple was able to exploit a weak, and directionless music industry, and gain control over music distribution and consumption, much to the industry's later chagrin. But even it didn't foresee consumers' shift in preference toward variety and accessibility via streaming rentals, not ownership. Apple Music was a reactive, not proactive endeavor, and they're still catching up with the likes of Spotify.

The TV and movie industries have done just fine without Apple and have not needed a savior. Without the same bargaining power it had with the music industry, Apple has been asked to accept the same terms as everyone else, and they have punted. Not having Steve Jobs to call upon as your closer in negotiations probably has not been a positive either.

Missing one of the major killer video apps (Prime), and without any original content of its own, the Apple TV platform is at best just another member of the pack, and has suffered for it, not because the hardware is old, can't do 4k, and expensive. Apps that play well on handheld devices don't necessarily translate well to large displays, and any gaming initiatives were severely crippled by Apple's overly optimistic and restrictive rules for game developers.

There's nothing that the Apple TV can do that another streaming media box cannot, except better integrate into the Apple ecosystem, and that hasn't proven to be enough of a selling point.

Unless Apple becomes willing to loosen the purse strings enough to create its own content, or license others' on their terms, Apple TV will remain just another "hobby."

Apple over-estimated the appeal of mobile games on a TV, turns out vast majority have no interest and only want premium games on TV something AppleTV doesn't do.

Secondly Apple's long term plans for 4K video went down the drain when HEVC imploded as a unified IP pool, the tech industry formed the Alliance for Open Media settling on VP9 as the interim 4K codec until their next gen AV1 codec is ready (of course Apple isn't a member).

Because Apple refuses to support VP9 they have no 4K solution and Google/Youtube will never support HEVC which is already on it's way out with Netflix/Amazon phasing it out too.

So AppleTV needs new hardware for 4K and if Apple is serious about games then it needs to ship with a proper game controller and better hardware to accommodate at least some ports of popular console/PC titles.

Meh. I'm ready to move on from Apple TV. Thought when they pushed through the app-store on their latest one would really make it great...but it hasn't. And I'm constantly having to reboot it because the little touch-pad remote thing starts acting up. Also, that thing is a pain sometimes. Sometimes I like it, other times it's infuriating.

I'm moving on. Looking to get one of the new Nvidia Shields. It has all the services I want AND Amazon Prime video. Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, Amazon, HBO, Plex...even Kodi. I've been a cord-cutter for over 10 years now, and Apple TV helped that (along with the Roku 3 for a while and Google's Chromecast...or Googlecast or whatever they're calling it now).

I know the Amazon Fire TV could run the things I want too, but I've been trying to move away from centralized services, where everything is tied up with one company...such as Apple or Amazon.

There is no Netflix on the TV app because they don't want to share their customer data. Wish Apple could make some sort of firewall within the app so that they could promise not to track content in the app. We might see Netflix then. Amazon Prime isn't coming to the TV because Amazon doesn't want it to.

Games aren't on the TV because of the bonehead move at launch where they had to support the remote to play.

I...Missing one of the major killer video apps (Prime), and without any original content of its own, the Apple TV platform is at best just another member of the pack, and has suffered for it, not because the hardware is old, can't do 4k, and expensive. Apps that play well on handheld devices don't necessarily translate well to large displays, and any gaming initiatives were severely crippled by Apple's overly optimistic and restrictive rules for game developers.

There's nothing that the Apple TV can do that another streaming media box cannot, except better integrate into the Apple ecosystem, and that hasn't proven to be enough of a selling point.

Unless Apple becomes willing to loosen the purse strings enough to create its own content, or license others' on their terms, Apple TV will remain just another "hobby."

OK, this I don't understand. I watch Prime on my AppleTV - it's a best of breed experience. This is done by streaming from the iOS app to the AppleTV. The iOS device becomes the companion screen that shows X-Ray information in realtime as the show progresses. It is a *genius* user experience (and I say this as a professional STB software developer). I can't think of a single good reason for Amazon to go to the effort of creating a standalone AppleTV app when they have this fantastic experience already available on the platform, and the number of AppleTV owners that don't have an iOS device must be tiny.

There is no Netflix on the TV app because they don't want to share their customer data. Wish Apple could make some sort of firewall within the app so that they could promise not to track content in the app. We might see Netflix then. Amazon Prime isn't coming to the TV because Amazon doesn't want it to.

Games aren't on the TV because of the bonehead move at launch where they had to support the remote to play.

I don't have an AppleTV because I don't need one. Between the Roku that Sling.TV gave us for paying for the months up front, an Amazon Fire Stick that I bought on impulse when they first launched and were offered at $18 to existing customers, the software built into the televisions and the free apps for every tablet, there's no screen currently left uncovered. I even still have a first generation iPad that's so slow that Netflix, Hulu, etc streaming is the only thing we use it for.

Reading the article makes it seem that Apple is doing so badly in the cord cutter business.

Now, what happened to Android TV? Google doesn't even try anymore (after a failure called Google TV), the big TV OEMs are simply ignoring it and pursuing with their own horrid Smart TV platforms, and the box OEM scene is just horrid, tried to find a good box for development at our work and I don't think Xiaomi will make a good box for us developers (with a non adulterated OS), also can't find them in EU legally, can't find the discontinued Nexus player (with no replacement), and the Nvidia ones are expensive for the users and too powerful for the developers (not a question of price, but we don't get to really see the limitations most of the people will experience in CPU power, RAM and SSD access)

The article portrays the lack of Netflix on Apple's App as a problem of Apple, as their fault, while it's simply because Netflix doesn't want to, Netflix wants people to go to their App ONLY.

Sharp and Sony (I think there are others, but can't remember them off the top of my head) use Android TV as their operating system. Vizio uses a built in Chromecast and an Android tablet (or your own device) as the remote. NVIDIA just refreshed their SHIELD TV box and they're still supporting the first generation. Xiaomi just released an Android TV box as well, and Chromecasts are still selling very well.

Chromecast and Android TV are a classic example of Google having two solutions to the same problem, but they tackle that problem in different ways and they both work really well for their intended uses.

apple tv lost the market momentum it had the moment apple took away the ability to jailbreak the device.

Apple take away the ability to jailbreak: Wah! I can't do what I want with *my* device!Apple don't take away the ability: "Massive vulnerabilities remain in AppleTV devices!"

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

not at all. they can do what they want. and since most of us don't live in north korea, we're free to choose what device we want to use. the configurability of amazon fire is a wonderful thing for anyone that has even limited tech savy. if you need a walled eco-system to protect you from your own lack of knowledge or fear of learning, apple tv will welcome you with open arms.

Apple has a huge 'unable to do two things at the same time' problem. They do the iPhone, it's their bread and butter. But everything else stagnates.

You say that like the iPhone hasn't been stagnating for years...

Well, I bought a 7, to replace a 5S-- and I can tell you the 7 is a major improvement. Now, the battery on the 5S had swollen and its front panel was partly detached, so buying a new phone was not exactly a voluntary upgrade for me. But I'm quite happy with the 7.

I have tried every streaming device on the market and they all have their own perks. But my Apple TV gets probably the most use because it has the widest variety of stable applications and simplest experience. The new TV app is nice as well, though still struggling to get it to present the right episodes for tracking.

It's strange that given the money in this industry area we still have no amazing solution. Everyone (MS, Amazon, Apple, Roku, Sony, etc) produce great pieces of the puzzle and then stop.

I read in the comments here that many Arsians are ready to move away from Apple TV - and for all the right reasons too. I too use an Apple TV (Gen 3) and I think it sucks --- but I also have accumulated quite a few many films on iTMS.

So my question is - is there anything else than an Apple TV I can use to watch my existing movie collection from iTMS? Hooking up a laptop to the tv doesn't count - I am thinking about something more like a Roku or any set topbox.

Reading the article makes it seem that Apple is doing so badly in the cord cutter business.

Now, what happened to Android TV? Google doesn't even try anymore (after a failure called Google TV), the big TV OEMs are simply ignoring it and pursuing with their own horrid Smart TV platforms, and the box OEM scene is just horrid, tried to find a good box for development at our work and I don't think Xiaomi will make a good box for us developers (with a non adulterated OS), also can't find them in EU legally, can't find the discontinued Nexus player (with no replacement), and the Nvidia ones are expensive for the users and too powerful for the developers (not a question of price, but we don't get to really see the limitations most of the people will experience in CPU power, RAM and SSD access)

The article portrays the lack of Netflix on Apple's App as a problem of Apple, as their fault, while it's simply because Netflix doesn't want to, Netflix wants people to go to their App ONLY.

Sharp and Sony (I think there are others, but can't remember them off the top of my head) use Android TV as their operating system. Vizio uses a built in Chromecast and an Android tablet (or your own device) as the remote. NVIDIA just refreshed their SHIELD TV box and they're still supporting the first generation. Xiaomi just released an Android TV box as well, and Chromecasts are still selling very well.

Chromecast and Android TV are a classic example of Google having two solutions to the same problem, but they tackle that problem in different ways and they both work really well for their intended uses.

At least until GoogleADD strikes and they axe both of them for a fork that captures OTA signals.

I never understood the pricing model for the latest AppleTV. $150 for 32gb storage and $200 for the 64gb version. I suspect alot of fools bought the more expensive model thinking it was a better deal (its got more geebee's!!), but really they should be charging $200 for an AppleTV with 4gb RAM, not 64gb storage.

There is no Netflix on the TV app because they don't want to share their customer data. Wish Apple could make some sort of firewall within the app so that they could promise not to track content in the app. We might see Netflix then. Amazon Prime isn't coming to the TV because Amazon doesn't want it to.

Games aren't on the TV because of the bonehead move at launch where they had to support the remote to play.

Hope all this changes. It's a good product otherwise.

So except for games and video content, it's a good TV box?

(•_•) / ( •_•)>⌐■-■ / (⌐■_■) I mean the Netflix app not integrated in the TV app isn't huge. The quality of the hardware and software is really good. The price and lack of 4K in 2017 isn't the best.

Bought a ChromeCast and a Amazon Fire Stick on Black Friday last year. The ChromeCast sits in a drawer unused, but the Fire Stick is used every day by my kids and family.

Strange, I thought it'd be the other way around, but that's the familiar story of nerds vs normies.

I much prefer the Chromecast because it lets me use my phone as the remote. Dedicated remotes are cheap and plastic-y, they pile up and have old-fashioned batteries that eventually need to be replaced. In my perfect world I'd be able to control everything from one single device - and my phone is the best candidate.

Bought a ChromeCast and a Amazon Fire Stick on Black Friday last year. The ChromeCast sits in a drawer unused, but the Fire Stick is used every day by my kids and family.

Strange, I thought it'd be the other way around, but that's the familiar story of nerds vs normies.

I much prefer the Chromecast because it lets me use my phone as the remote. Dedicated remotes are cheap and plastic-y, they pile up and have old-fashioned batteries that eventually need to be replaced. In my perfect world I'd be able to control everything from one single device - and my phone is the best candidate.

You do realize that so does the Fire Stick? (personally I think that the app methods of controlling the Chromecast work better [than the Firestick app] and are more seamless, but they also involve some different control paradigms)

Actually one of the things I do really like about the Fire Stick is that it just simply works with CEC: I usually just use the TV remote with it rather than the dedicated one or the app. The one thing that's nice about the voice remote is that it's a quick Alexa interface (versus unlocking a phone, starting an app, digging through menus, etc), if you use Alexa for things like home automation. On the other hand, it requires finding the remote and pushing the voice button, rather than being voice activated like a dot, so we don't use it for that as much as we thought we would.

Anecdotal, but Apple seriously needs help on this front in my opinion. I got a Roku to hook up to my mostly unused second TV. Once the girlfriend tried the Roku she made me swap them out. Other than AirPlay, she just flat out likes the Roku better. Especially the remote. Now the AppleTV only gets used when someone gives her an iTunes gift card and she curses at it every time.

I wish him well, he certainly has his work cut out for him.I was not impressed with the Gen 3 Apple TV (previously owned the Gen 1) and figured Gen 4 couldn't be any worse (after all the remote finally wouldn't slide off the table every 5 minutes).

I'm man enough to admit that I was wrong, the Gen 4 TV is a sh*t show. Did anyone at Apple make any attempt to figure out who the customer was and what would work for them? I don't think so. Awful junk.

don't jump to the conclusion they don't test but rather you might not be the target.

Reading the article makes it seem that Apple is doing so badly in the cord cutter business.

Now, what happened to Android TV? Google doesn't even try anymore (after a failure called Google TV), the big TV OEMs are simply ignoring it and pursuing with their own horrid Smart TV platforms, and the box OEM scene is just horrid, tried to find a good box for development at our work and I don't think Xiaomi will make a good box for us developers (with a non adulterated OS), also can't find them in EU legally, can't find the discontinued Nexus player (with no replacement), and the Nvidia ones are expensive for the users and too powerful for the developers (not a question of price, but we don't get to really see the limitations most of the people will experience in CPU power, RAM and SSD access)

The article portrays the lack of Netflix on Apple's App as a problem of Apple, as their fault, while it's simply because Netflix doesn't want to, Netflix wants people to go to their App ONLY.

Bought a ChromeCast and a Amazon Fire Stick on Black Friday last year. The ChromeCast sits in a drawer unused, but the Fire Stick is used every day by my kids and family.

Strange, I thought it'd be the other way around, but that's the familiar story of nerds vs normies.

I much prefer the Chromecast because it lets me use my phone as the remote. Dedicated remotes are cheap and plastic-y, they pile up and have old-fashioned batteries that eventually need to be replaced. In my perfect world I'd be able to control everything from one single device - and my phone is the best candidate.

You do realize that so does the Fire Stick? (personally I think that the app methods of controlling the Chromecast work better [than the Firestick app] and are more seamless, but they also involve some different control paradigms)

Actually one of the things I do really like about the Fire Stick is that it just simply works with CEC: I usually just use the TV remote with it rather than the dedicated one or the app. The one thing that's nice about the voice remote is that it's a quick Alexa interface (versus unlocking a phone, starting an app, digging through menus, etc), if you use Alexa for things like home automation. On the other hand, it requires finding the remote and pushing the voice button, rather than being voice activated like a dot, so we don't use it for that as much as we thought we would.

Same with Nexus player and Chromecast. Just saying this for others, not to correct you.

Anecdotal, but Apple seriously needs help on this front in my opinion. I got a Roku to hook up to my mostly unused second TV. Once the girlfriend tried the Roku she made me swap them out. Other than AirPlay, she just flat out likes the Roku better. Especially the remote. Now the AppleTV only gets used when someone gives her an iTunes gift card and she curses at it every time.

not to mention that the previous appletv needs to be rebooted every 4 hours of watching Netflix... ( or at least it does at my sisters house)

Truly annoying, that I have to unplug the cable from the Apple TV and let it reboot, for it to respond again after watching Netflix...